Ashes From The Fire
by MeganBellaRoseBlack
Summary: A series of song based one shots that I have formed fluffy, angsty, angry or just typical Galex moments out of. Please take a look despite this discription being, frankly, awful.
1. I Drove All Night

_**A**_**/n. This is an idea that I've been meaning to get down for a while. If people like it, this will be a series of song based moments from the lives of Gene and Alex. Sometimes them together, sometimes alone. Some will also probably be from Alex's time when she went back to 2008 at the end of s2. Anyway. As always, thoughts are super appreciated and do please let me know if you'd be interested in reading anymore of these little ficlets. **

**I also know this song wasn't actally released unti 1989, but I love it so much and really wanted to use it! **

**MBRB'xoxo**

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_I had to escape, the city was sticky and cruel. _

_Maybe I should have called you first, but I was dying to get to you. _

_I was dreaming as I drove the long straight road ahead. _

_Could taste your sweet kisses, you arms open wide._

_This fever for you is just burning be up inside. _

Finally, a nice evening in without anyone to interrupt her and weigh her down with the problems of the world. A night where she could just sit in with a nice bottle of red wine that she had spent a small fortune on, a tub of ice cream fresh from the freezer and clothes so comfy that it didn't matter if they weren't that attractive because they felt like being wrapped in pure heaven. Nights like this happened so rarely that they really where something to look forward to. As she had sat at her desk in CID with her feet clad in high heeled boots, she had been thinking about Friday night when she would be able to replace the boots with big fluffy socks and curl them under her, watching whatever was on TV. As she had thought back to every other night she'd flicked the TV on to find nothing but pure crap, she realized that her best bet was actually to rent out a video, at least that way she'd definitely have something to watch. She'd collected a video, brought her wine and ice cream and now she was dressed in her comfy leggings and big jumper. Perfect.

The week had gone according to plan and she was now alone, safe in the knowledge that she wouldn't be interrupted. Shaz and Chris where away on a romantic weekend that Chris had planned (with a ridiculously large amount of help from Alex), Ray was on a date with a 'nice bird' he 'picked up sometime last week. Her name's Jasmine... or Yasmine. Whatever, she has a killer rack', and Gene was on an assignment down in Plymouth where he was investigating a series of killings where the main suspect had been pulled in by one of the smaller stations down there.

A sigh of contentment fell from her lips as she eased herself on to the striped sofa in her living room as she pressed 'play' on 'Nine to Five'. She had always harbored a secret love for Dolly Parton and seeing the big hair and the three women working together to overthrow their boss was a guarantee giggle. The opening titles came up and the familiar bars of the song filled the room. God, life in the 80s really was life in the fast lane. If she wasn't in a show down with Gene, standing nose to nose with him and shouting the odds about whatever disagreement they'd had at the time, then she was battling with herself. Her thoughts, her mind, her heart. Despite now wanting to, she had put down the foundations of a life here and even if she did manage to get back to 2008, it would be hard to rip those foundations up and leave everything behind as if it had never happened. As she emptied her glass and reached for the bottle, she realized that she was paying very little attention to the film that was playing and had fallen deep into her thoughts. After trying to get back into the swing of what was happening, she gave deep sigh and resigned herself to the fact that she just couldn't focus. The film was turned off, and she found herself leaning against the counter of the kitchen, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other holding her now full glass to her lips. Jesus, even when she was having an evening to herself - her first in such a long _long_ time - she couldn't drag her mind from others. She wondered how Ray was getting along with Yasmine/Jasmine. Had she realised that he was a misogynistic piece of work with very low opinions of women? Or had she looked past that and seen the caring man inside who had such a big heart that would do so well if he had the right woman by his side? Was she the right woman? And what about Chris and Shaz? She hoped to god that he hadn't said something stupid and ruined the romantic atmosphere that was guaranteed to exist if everything had gone to plan. And the Guv. How was he getting on with all the yokels down in Devon? Surely they where doing his head in, and he was throwing his weight around, demanding the entire stations attention, a cup of tea and a garibaldi. A smile formed on her lips at the thought of the striken faces of the officers as they realised what they had let themselves in for.

Pressing play on her tape player that sat on the shelf, music filled the room and Alex curled up on the sofa again her eyelids began to feel heavy. It was only 10ish, but all the running around really took it out of her sometimes. A knock on her door startled her and the wine she held in her hand splashed slightly as her glass jolted in her surprise. Cursing, Alex grabbed the nearest thing to her - a black scarf draped over the side of the sofa - and tried to soak up as much of the wine as she could. Another knock, this time louder, and she hurried over to the door, now in a bit of a flap - it wasn't fun to be drifting off to sleep and then having wine to clean up a mysterious guest hammering at your door.

'All right, bloody hell!' she called, jogging over to the door and pulling it open. 'Gene!' The sight of the imposing man standing in her doorway was the last thing she was expecting to see. 'What the hell are you doing here?' it was out of her mouth before she even had time to process what she was actually saying.

'Charmed to see you too, Bolls. A pleasure as always' he said flatly as he nudged her out the way with his shoulder and entered her flat. 'Oh excellent. Cheap plonk. Where's the glasses?'

'Oi, that is _not_ 'cheap plonk', in the cupboard above your head as you very well know, and what are you _doing here?_' she closed the door, crossed her arms and leant against the wall next to the front door, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on Gene Hunt who was now pouring himself a large glass of red. He didn't reply instantly. Instead, he took a large gulp of wine and took his time to swallow it before saying;

'Didn't have any garibaldis' he said simply. Alex laughed and rolled her eyes. Bloody typical. There was no point in trying to push him on the matter of why he had come back. If he says he was here because there where no garibaldis in Plymouth, he'll damn well _convince_ himself it was because there was no garibaldis in Plymouth.

'I hate to break it to you Gene, but I don't have any here either' she smiled, curling up on her sofa once more. Gene made his way over to her and slumped down next to her, his arm across the back of the stripy couch.

'No matter, Bolly. I'll just drink ya booze' they sat in silence listening to the music that was still playing in the background. Cyndi Lauper. Very nice. The distinctive 80s base came on as a new song started playing and she began to sing about the desperation of seeing the one you love. Alex had always loved this song and remembered belting it out as she got ready for school or for a night out when she was a teen. It didn't bother her that she was considered 'weird' by her friends for listening to the older songs when they were all listening to the songs that had been on top of the pops. She liked them, and she had always loved the beats and of the 80s tunes.

_Taste your sweet kisses, you arms open wide. _

_This fever for you is just burning be up inside. _

Once Gene's glass was drained, he placed his glass down on the little coffee table that sat in front of him and glanced over to where Alex had been sat in silence for a while. He saw that she was in much the same state she had been in as he knocked the door; drifting off to sleep. How could a woman who always looked so feisty and in control look so adorable whilst asleep? It was strange how people looked different when their face was completely relaxed and their mind in a different place. He never would have thought that his DI Mouth Almighty would be able to appear so peaceful with her legs curled under her and her hair falling into her eyes slightly. Allowing himself a small smile, he kept his eyes on her for a second and then took a deep breath, leant over, wrapped his arm around her and then pulled her head so it rested on his chest as he relaxed into the stripes of the sofa once more. Alex's eyes opened slightly to see what was going on - why was she being moved? She was met with the blurred sight of Gene giving her a rare smile and felt a warm arm around her shoulder to keep out the slight chill. With his chest making for a more comfortable pillow than the palm of her hand that she had been resting her had on previously, she decided not to protest. Instead, she slipped her arms around his waist - adjusted herself so that she wasn't causing him any discomfort by poking an elbow into him or something - and snuggled deeper into his arms. The evening was turning out to be more relaxing than she had first anticipated. Neither of them spoke and broke the silence and Alex soon began to slip back into sleep. It wasn't the first time they had ended up with his warm arm protecting her from the night, her soft breathing chasing away his nightmares and each time that it happened, it came as an almost welcome surprise to both of them. Their late night meetings where never pre-planned and there where no intentions to end them curled up together, but somehow… they did. In the morning, they both knew that they would stick to their non-verbal agreement; she would make him a cup of coffee, he would drink it whilst she showered and got dressed, she would wait until she heard the click of the door before she emerged from the bedroom and then they would be back to being DCI Hunt and DI Guv and Bollyknickers. They never really spoke about their evenings together. They didn't really need to and besides, she would frustrate him by talking to much and over-analysising, he would frustrate her by talking over her or being snarky and they would end up in another fierce stand off, nose-to-nose and breathing fire. They didn't have to talk about not talking about it. They just knew and neither of them would mention that for a while they had been able to put the pressures of their job in a box and stop being DCI Hunt and DI Drake. The Guv and Bolly. And for a while – one night - they had just been Gene and Alex.

But as Cyndi Lauper faded out and Alex drifted off into comfortable dreams, Gene thought over the almost frantic drive from Plymouth to Luigi's that he had undergone that night. The feeling that his chest was growing tighter and tighter had been suffocating him and every time he called out for Drake to get her pathetic excuse of an arse to 'get here now, as in yesterday', it took a second to realise that she was all the way in London and wouldn't come to him with a sigh and roll of her eyes. He tried to convince himself he didn't like Plymouth because of the weird air and the even weirder people, but as he had hurtled down the motorway to get back to London, he hadn't even considered going home. He had gone straight to Alex. He wondered what psychiatry-bollocks she'd have to say about that if she knew. Hm. Maybe it was best to say that he just didn't appreciate the lack of garibaldis and leave it that.

_I drove all night to get to you. Is that alright?_

'Shut up, Lauper' he muttered under his breath. Bloody woman. Nutty as an Almond Slice. His words caused Alex to mumble gently in protest and shift a little in her sleep and twist into Gene's shirt slightly more. And as he found himself absent mindedly twisting a curl around his finger, he muttered a quiet 'sorry' before he realised what he was doing and quickly dropped the curl that was wrapped around him. 'Poofter' he thought to himself before he finally gave in to sleep.

_I drove all night... to hold you tight. _

**End. **


	2. Fairytales And Castles

**A/n. This one's a little different to the first one that I did, but I intend them to all be different styles with a different feel to them and so here it is. **

**As you've heard a million times, I'm sure, reviews are Love. So if you have a second, please leave a note! **

**Enjoy. **

**MBRB'xoxo**

_**Fairytales and Castles **_

_**- Lifehouse**_

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Gene Hunt was not used to having people tell him what to do. This was _his_ station. _His_ kingdom. _His_ world. It was the way things had been for as long as he cared to remember and it was the way that he liked it. People came and went here. Some stayed longer than others and there had even been the occasional one who he had thought he would be stuck with, but in the end even they left. But that was the way of the world. Gene knew better than many that people weren't reliable. They could say that they would stay, this was their home and that they couldn't imagine a way of life that wasn't that of Fenchurch East and they would mean it. But in the end, all people are the same. They have short memories. Like kids joining little fingers with vows that they would be best friends forever – it never lasted long. Sooner or later another kid with a shiny new promise of eternal friendship would come along and forever would be over before it had ever really begun. The desk would be cleared, papers filed away and Gene would start all over again. And really, he was fine with that because it was his part to play in the system. As long as he called the shots; he was fine.

_He says he looks in the mirror  
And he can't tell anymore  
Who he really is and who they believe him to be.  
And he says he walks a thin line  
Between what is and what could be,  
And he's getting closer  
To something he can't understand._

But Alex Drake had promptly decided he was incapable of ruling such a large kingdom on his own and without even realising it, she had gone from being one of his temporary placements at a cursed desk, to someone that was his equal. He was no longer a lonesome king ruling with an iron fist. He was a softening king with a pillar of a Queen by his side. It wasn't something he understood and his team no longer looked at him in the same way that they had before she had turned up and the Manc Lion had rule, but he found that he didn't mind his Lioness. In fact, he quite liked her.

'_Cause there's a crack in his plastic crown  
And his throne of ice is melting.  
He climbed his ladder -  
There was nothing there.  
Now it's a long way down. _

As Alex had settled herself into Gene's life, things began to change. They were no longer as simple as they used to be and his grip on reality began to slide. No longer was his word law, but there was always someone chiming in with 'Does the Boss agree, Guv?' or 'Shouldn't we ask Drake what she thinks?'. No. They bloody well should not. Sure, sometimes the daft tart was right – more often than he dared say aloud – but she was still his second in command and he was top dog. But it wasn't only CID that was getting a shake up from the presence of DI Drake. Gene was very much used to his own company. Very much content with Luigis cheap house rubbish and his own little table for one. So the evening that he found himself asking for 'their' table was the evening that Gene knew that this wasn't just another DI that was there to teach him a lesson, accept that the old ways were the right ways and then move on. No, Alex Drake was there to flip his little world upside down. He just hoped he could keep a firm grip on it.

'_Cause on and on and on he goes  
Dancing on the grave  
Of what he thought was still alive.  
And on and on and on he goes  
Dancing in mansions made of twigs,  
And castles made of sand. _

He knew. He knew as soon as talk of stars hit CID that he was well and truly loosing his iron grip on what was his and it was slipping further and further into the realms of disaster. A simple looking man with an icy stare and an eye-catching woman with a head full of brains had come at him from all angles and, in a single moment of complete confusion, made him drop the ball. They had tapped at the walls of his dreams just a little too hard and like the poisonous spider Keats was, he had made that chip into a web of delicate doubtful thoughts and before Gene knew it… voila. A perfectly executed plan had been carried out and the world that he had so painstakingly formed from endless dreams and false hopes was crumbling around him. His cities were toppling like building blocks, his station being torn down like paper sketches stuck on a wall, until all that was left was the dream-maker himself and the one thing that had not been his construct sitting in a room full of splintered illusions. But that's the thing about dreams; they're just so easy to shatter.

_He says his head is filled with  
cartoons and fairy tales,  
And he's trapped inside a dungeon of dolls  
With smiles on their faces.  
He's built a pretty cage,  
His show's on a beautiful stage  
With candy coated prison bars  
And chains that look like jewelry. _

Sat on the floor of the last part of his checkered wonderland that he had been able to desperately cling to, Gene wondered which hole Alex had tumbled through to get here. Where had she come from? Where had they _all_ come from? They weren't _his_ characters, so how did an outside figure enter his world? And why had it taken so long for one to unpick the seams of his patchwork world and see it for what it really was? The way Gene saw it, he truly was living in the Mad Hatters tea party – there he was in all his insane deluded glory whilst others came and went for tea. Some were cautious about the larger-than-life man presenting them with a glass of whiskey, and others just drifted through with barely a word. But the Hatter always knew that eventually someone would come that would see the imperfections in the teapot and the flicker of stone cold soberness behind his eyes of the Hatter. Then, and only then, would the tea party be over. And as with all good fairytales, that someone had come with perfect timing, may that be down to a frantic white rabbit with a watch or a man with an incomplete task and a gun Either way, Alice had arrived to take her place by the Mad Hatters side. And so had Alex.

'_Cause he lives inside a world  
Of fairy tales and castles now.  
And there's room inside  
For false expectations and illusions._

Gene thought back to all the people who had had tried so hard to help and who had eventually left him alone. Yes, people had short memories and they would soon forget Fenchurch East and Gene Hunts carefully constructed world, but did that mean that the kid left behind without someone to love them forever wasn't allowed to hurt? Was Gene not supposed to be able to give a heavy sigh and drown himself in drink as each new recruit became an old recruit? But then again, had he not moved on? Had he not said 'Ta very much' and left Manchester when things had gotten too hard for him and when the memories crashing down on him stopped him from being able to breath, had he not packed his bags and gone? Maybe moving on is something that _does _have to be done sometimes. Maybe change was a good thing, no matter how hard it is.

As they sat together on the floor, Alex spoke of another time and another place – when things were still happy not being what they seemed – where there had been a car. And boots. And him, Gene realised that having a Queen by his side was not a bad thing at all. And he found out for certain that the higher you climb, the further you have to fall. Gene had been oh so high but luckily for him, there had been someone who had already fallen headfirst down the rabbit hole to catch his hand and stop him from loosing himself in the darkness.

_There's a crack in his plastic crown  
And his throne of ice is melting.  
He climbed his ladder,  
There was nothing there  
And now it's a long way down.  
It's a long way down. _


End file.
